Child of the Dark Moon II: Moonlit
by Yemi Hikari
Summary: (Sirius the Jaeger) Yuliy finds himself injured and on the run after taking out a vampire while protecting Ryouko, but Ryouko and Hideomi don't know how to find him let alone who shot him. Both, however, are quite aware of his beastly side having seen it when he took down the vampire. Moving around him are other players on the chessboard including his uncle and Ryouko.
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer - I don't own Sirius the Jaeger. This is the sequel to Child of the Dark Moon. I'd actually managed to write this chapter and the next already._

**Child of the Dark Moon II: Moonlit  
****_Prologue_**

The snow outside of the train windows glistened in the moonlight. The sound of a young child breathing while they slept drifted through the air of the small compartment adding to the calming effect of the serene landscape outside. Sachi felt as if nothing could ruin the tranquil moment, she found herself in, yet something did. The door to the small compartment opened up and a third person stepped into the compartment drawing Sachi's attention away from the window.

"The train steward refused to bring us some hot drinks. You would think he knew who we are."

The young daughter of the Iba clan pushed her lips together into a thin line while her head turned so she might look at her fiancé. Her father recently introduced her to the young man yet informed her he would be escorting her and her young brother Hideomi on their journey across multiple countries to a remote location where her father was involved in a meeting involving family business.

Of course, she knew by family business he meant Jaeger business.

She watched Seo Shinzaburo sit down across from her while her hand reached up to touch the top of Hideomi's head. She turned her head and looked out at the icy fields which went by the train just as the moon went behind a cloud. She felt an ominous feeling of dread at the sight while her hand reached for the short blade she kept upon her person under strict instructions from her father.

Hideomi stirred next to her and his eyes blinked. "_Aneue_? Something the matter?"

Sachi glanced down at her younger brother while wondering the same thing herself. The Seo heir let out a deep sigh while one of Sachi's hands tightened around the wooden seat she sat on. "The porter won't give us anything hot to drink. The compartment is chilly."

Sachi pulled the blanket wrapped around herself and Hideomi tighter and looked outside of the window. A flash outside the window made her mouth open, but her hand remained ready to grab her blade as the darkness continued eating away the moonlight which once lit the snow-covered field. She quickly stood and pulled the window shade down snapping it shut while swallowing before turning towards the door while her fiancé simply stood there.

"You should have closed the window sooner."

"_Aneue_?"

"Shush Hideomi." Sachi locked the door of their small compartment.

"What are..."

Whatever the Seo heir was going to say was interrupted by the train stopping. Saichi reached for the wall attempting to catch herself. Her younger brother slammed into the other side while her eyes drifted towards the front of the train. A deep breath escaped her throat, yet she couldn't ignore the feeling of dread. Hideomi's eyes widened slightly. "What happened?"

Her fiancé let out a deep breath. "Snow probably piled up in front of the tracks again. Why they decided to build a railway passage through such a barren and cold place as this I do not understand."

The nagging feeling every member of their clan developed said something else was going on, but the screams coming from further down said something was wrong. She watched her fiancé tense up before standing up and opening the door so he might bolt in the opposite direction the sounds were coming from. Saichi stepped into the door of their traveling compartment but froze upon seeing the lights flicker and she closed the door and latched the door tightly.

The sound of Hideomi letting out a groan of pain made her turn towards her young brother and kneel down beside him while he wobbled slightly and held a hand to his head. His eyes were glazed over causing Sachi concern. From outside their compartment, she heard the sound of screams grow closer letting her know a monster was in fact approaching

A human unaware of what the Jaeger were aware of might turn out the lights in hopes that one of these monsters might pass them on by, and yet she knew these monsters could, in fact, hear her heartbeat and see in the dark, thus making such a move pointless in the scheme of things. Instead, Sachi found herself turning her attention to listening, but her ears picked up the sound of a monster outside of the door.

Her hand went to her blade and she prepared herself for what she knew would come next. This included placing herself between Hideomi and the door yet hoping one of the monsters wouldn't try the narrow window at the side. A loud thud came against the wooden door while Sachi swallowed back the anxiety which built up in her chest. She watched the wood begin to splinter under the power of the monster's fits.

The door splintered and a rather grotesque fist came through the door clawing through the chill air for Sachi and her younger brother. Sachi sucked in a deep breath while steadying herself. The last thing she wanted was to become one of _them_.

Something, however, made the arm go rigid before pulling back and splintering the door so she might see the vampire looming in front of her with its ghastly colored skin but leaving her even more exposed the enemy. The next thing she knew another person dressed in light clothing which would likely blend into the snow rushed in.

She recognized the look of a werewolf anywhere, yet her breath stopped at seeing the sight of two different kinds of monsters in front of her. The werewolf in question killed the vampire, only to turn and look at her. Sachi's eyes widened when the glowing blue eyes looked into her own as the werewolf bared his fangs, yet the fangs regressed back and the glow disappeared as he looked at her and for some reason, she wasn't afraid.

From outside she heard the sound of others moving about meaning there were others possibly fighting the vampires. Sachi pulled Hideomi up onto the bench next to her while the werewolf sat down across from her as if he were a normal person, yet like a normal person he didn't move to attack her. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw another approach, but she was sure he asked what the one was doing.

Whatever he said she wasn't sure, but she knew the other was displeased and yet left anyways. Sachi eventually cleared her throat. "I..."

The werewolf's eyes widened slightly and he said something in slight excitement.

"Sorry. I don't understand what you're saying." For some reason, she pointed to herself. "Iba Sachi." She then pointed at her brother. "Iba Hideomi".

"Iba Alexi."

"Ah, no." Sachi pointed between her and Hideomi. "Iba."

He nodded his head. "Jirov Alexi."

Her eyes drifted to the ground before looking up. "I know you can't understand me, but if you stay here my father will kill you. That is what my family does."

Alexi saw the pained look in her eyes, yet misunderstood what she said. She watched him reach into his pouch and then hold something out to her. "What?"He pointed at Hideomi who began to shiver. "I don't understand."

Alexi held the item to his mouth and swallowed before pointing at Hideomi again. Sachi swallowed and reached out for the offered medicine before putting it to her younger brother's lips and proceeded in having him take the medicine. While Hideomi's eyes became less glazed, but the shivering stopped. Alexi seemed pleased, but he still didn't leave.

She pointed at him, then the door to which he pointed to himself and then her. "Wait..."

She pointed at herself, then him, and the door only for him to point to himself and point down and then at her. Her eyes drifted down towards Hideomi while she contemplated what he said. He definitely intended to stay with her specifically, yet she knew what would happen when her father arrived. She carefully wrapped her blanket around Hideomi and then removed her own coat despite the fact this would leave her prone.

She kissed him lightly on the forehead and stood up. Alexi looked on in confusion but followed her when she left. Soft snow started falling as they approached a hill from which she could observe the train from a distance, but she felt Alexi remove his jacket and place it over her shoulders. Something definitely drew her to Alexi and him her. She watched until she saw someone come to rescue those on the train and knew Hideomi was safe.

"Let's go, Alexi."


	2. Finding Sanctuary

_Note - Sorry for not posting this sooner despite the fact it is already written._

**Child of the Dark Moon II: Moonlit  
****_Finding Sanctuary_**

"Hey."

Yuliy's eyes snapped open upon hearing a voice from just outside of the alleyway. The golden light of the sun filtered in between the two buildings casting an eerie glow upon his pale skin. His hand reached up for his shoulder without realizing his action but stopped before his fingers touched the place the bullet went through his shoulder. In the back of Yuliy's mind he registered the fact his body still hurt, and yet because of his Sirius abilities, he was already healing.

"What are you doing here?"

Yuliy let his eyes turn towards the man who spoke to him and looked at him warily while still sitting on the ground where he collapsed the night before. The young Sirius didn't make any sound and simply looked at the person while his mind muddled over what he should possibly do. The clothing he wore still felt tight and uncomfortable.

"You didn't get drunk and stumble into the alleyway did you, because..."

"No." Yuliy let his eyes drift back towards the opposite wall as he pushed himself up from his sitting position. His eyes drifted briefly towards the blood on his pale fingers while his mind slowly remembered the feelings brought on from the night before mixing with his discomfort from the clothing he wore. His head tilted down while his eyes narrowed.

The bullet which pierced his shoulder meant a Jaeger was hunting him, yet even after a slight night's rest he didn't understand why he wasn't dead. The fact he lived defied what Yuliy understood about Jaeger. He realized the man who found him was still watching, but a couple more strangers gathered just outside the entrance of the alleyway and his mouth slackened slightly. He heard another speak. "I'd say he's a street urchin, yet isn't that a school uniform?"

"I bet he's one of youth given a scholarship."

"Why would they give one to a half-breed."

Yuliy pushed himself away from the wall knowing full well the attention he'd already drawn towards himself and started walking away. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the first man reach out for him, and he stopped moving away and turned his head slightly. He watched the man flinch, but the look upon the man's face was in fact a look Yuliy was all too familiar with. The young Sirius turned and walked away without anyone preventing him.

His thoughts drifted towards Ryouko. He still didn't know how to explain the feeling he felt beyond the fact he knew the feeling was that feeling his and Mikhail's father held towards their mother, yet he also didn't know what to do regarding these feelings either. The look on her face when she saw him let loose the beast wasn't something, he could erase yet thinking about the look made him let out a deep breath.

"I've got bigger concerns, don't I?"

Yuliy continued looking at the ground as he approached the end of the alleyway and glanced around. There was no sign of any Jaeger nearby, yet he knew he couldn't let his guard down as he sought out a hiding place. His bright blue eyes caught sight of the entrance to a shrine nearby and how the rising sun cast an eerie glow cast over the shrine as a few people moved nearby.

The young Sirius let out a deep sigh wondering if he should approach the place. He didn't need to draw attention to himself, yet the three men on the other side of the alleyway already glimpsed him making him wish he'd found the shrine the night before, for this would have fewer people witnessing where he went and thus informing the Iba clan of his whereabouts, yet there was a chance those who saw him wouldn't want to say anything.

There was also thankfully no sign of any Jaeger nearby, yet as he made his move and headed towards the shrine. One hand clamped over the whole, but he hoped the blood wouldn't be noticeable with the dark colors of the school uniform he hated so much as he wished he wore his usual clothing. He headed up towards the shrine mentally preparing himself for having to run again.

Something told him in the back of his mind that the Iba clan might not _be_ the only thing he should be worried about. Specifically, while he hoped none of those who saw him would say anything, there was always the chance one of the people might snitch to a cop what they saw. Of course, this might lead to Hideomi finding him, yet he wasn't at all sure how he felt about bringing the man into things further.

"I shouldn't have. I shouldn't have..." Yuliy closed his eyes as he arrived at the top of the stairs. When he opened them, he saw a monk looking right at him, yet he found himself swallowing. In the back of his mind, he chided himself for having forgotten that monks and other religious figures usually had some kind of ties with the supernatural, but he'd also managed to interrupt the monk's sweeping and now the man stared at him.

Yuliy wasn't sure how long the man eyed him carefully before heading over to the main shrine so he might lean the broom up against something. The man turned and motioned for Yuliy to approach. The young Sirius swallowed, yet complied with the man's request despite knowing full well any monk with connections to the supernatural wouldn't like what he was any more than a Jaeger would, yet some were Jaeger.

A deep breath escaped from his mouth, but his entire body stiffened when the monk reached out for the hand which covered his shoulder. "It's alright." These words made Yuliy look the man in the eye. "I'm quite aware of the fact you don't trust me." The man's eyes drifted down as he pulled Yuliy's hand away. "However, it doesn't look as if you have much choice in the matter."

Yuliy swallowed. "I..."

"I won't ask what trouble you're in."

"But..." In the back of his mind, he remembered his grandfather telling him the family shrine was off limits, but how Willard avoided bringing him into a church unless the place was in fact contaminated by the kind they hunted.

"I'll deal with whatever trouble you've brought with you when it shows." The monk let go of Yulliy's hand and started towards a side building. "First, I need to tend to that injury." Yuliy tilted his head slightly but found himself confused regarding why the man was helping him. The monk in question realized Yuliy was hesitating to follow. "Is something confusing you?"

"Why are you helping me?"

"Are you not an Okami, a messenger of the kami?"

"A what?" Yuliy looked at the man in confusion.

"Do you not know what you are?"

Yuliy let out a sigh. "I know what I _am_. I think you think I am something I am not."

"I wonder if that is really the case." The monk looked him in the eye again. "Anyways, I can not turn a soul in obvious need away from the _Nogi-Jinja_ shrine." The man motioned again for Yuliy to follow and reluctantly he did.


	3. An Uncle's Move

**Child of the Dark Moon II: Moonlit  
****_An Uncle's Move_**

Anger.

There was no denying the anger he felt towards his father.

In the back of his mind, the memory of his sister's beautiful smile rested, yet when he saw her the night before she wasn't smiling; Hideomi felt almost as if she wasn't allowed to smile, what with family politics taking her son away not to mention using her as a method of controlling the boy from stepping out of the line. After all, Yuliy's blue eyes weren't a normal sight in Japan, but the white lock of hair wasn't either.

"_I'm not much better though, given the fact I insisted on having him enrolled at the academy so he might have the advantages they've been denying him – I didn't once think there would be other issues._"

Of course, that issue…

Hideomi couldn't erase from his memory the sight of Kuratake, transforming into a monster who was recognizable only because of the champagne-colored birthmark on his face. The young noble couldn't erase from his memory the _feeling_ which emanated from the escaped prisoner. He'd always known Kuratake to be a dangerous person, yet that feeling he felt was honestly something _more_, something he couldn't quite place.

The man he pursued called Yuliy a Jaeger, a word quite different than the word Sirius, but said something about Yuliy not carrying his weapon which in turn made the feeling of dread pounding in Hideomi's heart and chest quicken, his mind knowing Kuratake posed a danger not only to Ryouko but also Yuliy – his nephew.

Hideomi watched, too far away as Kuratake attempted pushing Yuliy aside only for his nephew to use the momentum to change the man's direction. Instead of deterring the man, the man reached out and grabbed Yuliy by the arm, flinging him into the wall. Yuliy's agility – which allowed him to rebound off the wall from this action – did impress Hideomi, but the feeling of dread, that something bad would happen to Yuliy wouldn't go away.

Then, Kuratake tried attacking Ryouko again and something strange happened – Yuliy's fist shot out and in front of his eyes Kuratake disintegrated.

After that, Yuliy didn't move, standing there frozen in the spot, allowing both Hideomi and Ryouko to approach his nephew. He heard Yuliy's heavy breathing, not to mention picked up on the panic. In the back of his mind, Hideomi justified Yuliy's panic as resulting from having killed a man yet this didn't seem logical given how Kuratake simply disintegrated in front of them,

And then he saw _it_ – the reason why Yuliy was so anxious, _it_ resulting in a confusing cascade of emotions setting in including the feeling of shock.

His nephew stood there, covered in blood as if Kurtake suddenly exploded all over him. Just as bizarre as the blood covering his nephew was the change in Yuliy's appearances. Somehow, his hair grew longer, his teeth formed fangs while his already vivid blue eyes became even more vivid, not to mention there seemed like a faint blue glow in his skin.

Hideomi might have been afraid in the moment if it weren't for the fact he recognized the signs of fear, the way Yuliy tensed, the way his eyes indicated a high level of distrust, not to mention the way his nephew breathed. Yuliy was afraid, but as tried contemplating what the young teen was afraid of, something else happened which sent a cold shudder down his spine

A shot rang through the air and he saw the fear leave Yuliy's face and be replaced with shock.

He watched Yuliy's body move away from the direction of the shot as blood splattered out, his eyes widening, his fangs biting down into his lip ever so slightly. He heard a slight panic in Yuliy's voice before he took off, running away from him and Ryouko.

"Yuliy! Yuliy, come back!"

He wanted to call out, but something in the back of his mind told him one shouldn't try yelling at a frightened animal in order to get them to come closer. Hideomi's eyes narrowed, mentally chiding himself. "_Yuliy is not an animal. He is Saichi's precious child._"

Closing his eyes and opening them, Hideomi found himself looking up at sunlight streaming through his window and let out a groan before looking around his small apartment. Looking around the small place, the feeling of emptiness couldn't escape him. The place felt much different having shared the place with his nephew. Letting out a sigh, his eyes drifted towards the open window.

"Yuliy, where are you?" Taking a deep breath, he got up and dressed in his uniform, feeling not anywhere as sure of himself regarding finding Yuliy as he was last night. The rest of the Iba clan were quite influential, but if they _wanted_ to kill Yuliy then they would also be looking for him with the intent to kill. "I've got to find him. Saichi wouldn't…" He paused, a slight smile twisting at one corner of his mouth. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to him."

Taking a deep breath, he quickly prepared a meal, his mind remembering in full detail the conversation he held with his own father. He remembered the lack of disinterest, the promise of discussing it later as it was a family matter honestly rankled how he felt towards his father; he didn't understand how someone could be so cold towards their own family.

More importantly…

"_I shouldn't have told him Yuliy was injured._" After all, he didn't hesitate in calling his father out on placing a hit on his own grandson, yet thinking about the whole matter, he wondered if simply calling his father out actually alerted the man to the fact Yuliy was injured. "Doesn't matter. What matters is finding Yuliy before he does?" Taking a deep breath, he left his small place, stopping upon seeing another person waiting for him just outside of the door. His eyes narrowed, instantly recognizing the man from the meeting held by the Iba family to effectively put Yuliy in his place. "You're the one the family uses as a handler for Yuliy, aren't you?"


	4. Orders

_Originally the plan was to stick with Hideomi's point of view, but the flow didn't quite work. I could have utilized third person limited from the view of an OC, but I felt that might ruin some of the suspense. I finally decided this route would work._

**Child of the Dark Moon II: Moonlit  
****_Orders_**

"How does it feel to be back in Japan?" Willard remembered asking the question when they first arrived, unsure of why he still put them forward to the older of his two young charges. Yuliy remained ever evasive, yet the chances of the young Sirius opening up remained just as evasive despite having brought on a younger jaeger; of course, the fact Philip's parents were killed by one of Yuliy's kind didn't help the two in opening up with each other in the first place.

"I don't know. We've only been back to Japan once, maybe twice since mother sent me away and that was only ever for a very short time." The first part of what Yuliy said, there was definite truth to those words, but what he said next was in its own way poignant. "I'm not sure I remember enough to actually make any kind of judgment."

"It was her who sent you away?" The professor worded the statement as a question – a question he already knew the answer to, yet he found himself disheartened to hear the young man speak in such a manner. "_I also witness how protective she is of him, but…_"

"That's the way she wanted things."

Willard let out a sigh, knowing full well Yuliy lied to himself, attempting to make the pain of separation less painful. In the back of his mind, the professor also knew Yuliy preferred _not_ being in Japan, given the previous visits definitely involved a major restriction on his movements – something Williard didn't look forward to either; the family politics of the Iba clan were a messy matter, one he left the rest of the V Shipping Company out of if he could.

Knowing _what_ the clan decided in regard to his young charge, however, was definitely better than not knowing, which was why he answered the summons to the clan meeting, completely not expecting the turn of events which unfolded; while his blood boiled at how the elders treated Yuliy and his mother, Willard certainly found the reaction of the boy's uncle quite perplexing, if not possibly to their advantage.

Of course, he'd not expected another summoning by the head of the family the next night, his mind pondering how the family head handled his son and heir's interest in Yuliy, yet wasn't surprised to find the man fuming. "I can't believe him. This is an absolute disaster."

"What happened? More importantly, why have you summoned me?" Willard watched the family head carefully, the man's dark hair with definite grey streaks, a difference from when he'd first met the man, bringing back both his daughter and the unwanted child. His eyes narrowed, his hands tucked behind his back and his mouth clenched shut.

At first, the head of the clan said nothing, simply looking at him as if pondering the latter question rather than the first one. "Yuri messed up. No." The head took a deep breath, his tongue not pronouncing Yuliy's name right. "He definitely messed up. What am I going to do with that child?"

"Isn't that why you placed Yuliy into my care?" Willard continued holding his hands behind his back, watching the man spin on his heels, looking at him angrily, meaning he'd likely hit a nerve.

"You're implying I placed Yuri in your care because I didn't know what to do with him."

The professor pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth, taking a deep breath, fighting back the urge to say – yes, that was exactly the reason. Instead, he said, "Isn't the reason you placed him in my care because you could trust me?"

"Trust you?" The head of the Iba clan carefully pondered this statement. "It's certainly not something I trusted a member of the clan with, but then Sachi insisted that you be the one. Given the fact a member of the clan has indeed acted without my permission in regards to Yuri…"

"What's happened to my student?"

"Your student." A short laugh left the old man's mouth. "Hideomi is also fond of the boy despite the fact Yuri let the beast out in front of him and that girl – that daughter of the Naoe clan." The words of the clan head made Willard's heart sink. "The last thing I need now is the Naoe girl breathing word regarding what Yuri is."

"Surely nobody would believe her if she did?"

The family head turned away from Willard. "Superstition may have died out in the country you are from, but it has not here in Japan."

"Why did that happen? I mean…"

"You mean why did Yuri let out the beast after I'd strictly forbidden to do so? Why did he do so knowing there would be consequences for doing so?"

"Yes."

"Apparently we don't have to worry about Kuratake anymore." The man let out a deep breath, still not looking Willard in the eye. "No. According to my son, I've got even bigger things to worry about, such as figuring out which clan member acted without my permission to take out that cursed child."

Willard felt his heart sink further, yet he remained passive regarding the current situation. "Someone is undermining your authority?"

"According to my son, I'm the one who gave the order, so not only is someone undermining my authority in the clan, they're also undermining my authority with my son." The man turned, looking Willard in the eye. "I need to speak with him further regarding the matter of Yuri and finding the boy. Only now that I've returned to the house do I realize I can't trust anyone in the clan with finding that child."

"And?"

"I need you to pass the message on to him, as I can't trust anyone in the clan right now, though I will definitely let the elders within the clan – every head of a branch family know _exactly_ what I think of this betrayal."

"Does he trust you?"

"Excuse me?" The head of the Iba turned, glaring at the professor, challenging the fact the man would ask such a thing.

"You said yourself that someone in the clan was undermining your authority with your son. Doesn't that mean they are undermining his trust in you?" Willard took a deep breath. "My point is this. What if he refuses to come and speak with you? After all, he's already accused you of attempting to kill his nephew, whom from what I've observed the other night he's actually become quite fond of."

"Either way, help him find Yuri before whoever in the clan is hunting him down does. Knowing you, you'd be looking for him whether I said not to."

"He is after all my precious student, but given the importance of student and teacher relationships within your culture, I have taken my role of guiding the boy quite seriously and as an honor."

The head pondered his words as if he wanted to say something more than what he followed up with. "You'll also find my son's connections useful, but it will also allow you more freedom of movement within Tokyo, or so I hope. Again, find the boy before the person hunting him does."


	5. Handler

**Child of the Dark Moon II: Moonlit  
****_Handler_**

"You're the person tasked as Yuliy's handler by the head of the Iba clan, aren't you?" Hideomi heard the tone of his own voice and knew he didn't hide from the man the way he felt regarding the way the Iba clan treated Yuliy. "You can tell the family head I want nothing to do with him or his plans to kill _my _nephew."

"While I may be his handler, I don't own the Iba clan let alone the family head any form of loyalty. In fact, my alliance isn't to the Iba family specifically, but Iba Sachi. That woman's gone to great lengths to protect her son."

Hideomi turned his head so he didn't have to look the man in the eye, his mouth slightly slack. "I've no reason to trust a word you just said, but then… I think you already know that."

"No, you don't have a reason to trust me, but I do know that the family head of the Iba clan does wish to speak with you regarding the matter."

"I don't particularly wish to speak with him, nor am I inclined to ever forgive him."

"For the attempt on Yuliy's life? That wasn't him, or so he claims."

Hideomi looked the man in the eye, his eyes narrowing. "So, he claims?"

The man pushed up his glasses, his facial features completely emotionless. "He tasked this to an outside, did he not?"

Hideomi thought over the man's words carefully. "Choosing an outsider means he doesn't trust the other members of the clan."

"Precisely. I honestly never can tell what his intentions regarding the boy are, but I do take my duties as a teacher and caregiver quite seriously. My intentions, regardless of what the intentions of the head of the Iba clans happen to be, is seeing to the wellbeing of my charge. As such, I couldn't argue against his request of delivering the message that he wished to speak to you regarding this matter, or, should you refuse as you have, give you what aide the V Shipping Company and I can."

"Let me make something clear. There are some things I need to sort out regarding what happened the night before, but I am going to use my resources to find my nephew, but I am not going to let anybody, absolutely anybody, get in my way. Whether you and this V Shipping Company is there to help, I've yet to decide."

"That is fair enough." The man-made a slight bow. "We won't be far away, but will be conducting our own investigation using our own resources, but if I do find anything that might help, I will be sure, to get you the information in some manner."

Hideomi watched the man turn and walk away, leaving him to ponder over the conversation and how it fits in with the events of the night before.

There wasn't much time, though, and Hideomi himself turned so he walked in the other direction, towards the station so he might get to work on the paperwork regarding the investigation he'd been assigned. The sun beat down, making the night—or nightmare from the night before—feel like a far-off memory. His fingers tightened, frustrated at knowing that wasn't the case. The fact he didn't know whether to trust his nephew's handler remained at the back of his mind.

Upon arriving at the station, he also found himself remembering when he first saw Yuliy in the jail cell, having been brought in after being shot by a young officer; his mind remembered one of the officers explaining the reason he shot Yuliy instead of Kuratake. "_The unidentified young man was carrying a strange weapon with which he was attacking the escaped convict._" He also remembered the young officer saying, "_I didn't know Kuratake could jump as high as he did._"

He'd not believed any of the young officers who gave him that description the other day, yet after seeing what he saw the night before, he understood why the young officer said what he did; of course, that didn't explain why they decided to take out Yuliy – the unknown threat – in favor of a known threat. In fact, Yuliy remained far more focused regarding the taking out of Kuratake simply because Kuratake _became_ something that didn't seem human.

"_Neither's Yuliy_ though." Hideomi walked over to his desk, setting his hat down, his mind contemplating where he should start searching for Yuliy. Reaching for paper, he started filling out the paperwork, omitting certain details such as descriptions of Kuratake becoming a monster let alone disintegrating into a million pieces. Mentally, he paused, realizing he needed an explanation for what happened to Kutake's body in order that he might cover for his nephew.

"You're not out looking for him?"

Hideomi looked up, his eyes catching sight of Ryouko, the girl who was there the night before. "Shouldn't you be attending class Miss Naoe?"

"Shouldn't you be looking for Yuliy?"

"I'm in the progress of doing so." Hideomi took a deep breath. "Specifically, I am attempting to clear up the matter with Kuratake on paper…"

"You can file your stupid report after we find Yuliy!"

The manner in which she raised her voice made him look around, before letting out a sigh. "I was going to say I was working on the paper trying to figure out how to best go about finding Yuliy when you interrupted my thought process."

"How about going to the scene of the crime? I mean, someone shot him, so there was a crime committed, right?"

"Keep your voice down."

"Why?"

"Because most people aren't aware of what happened last night, but the last thing Yuliy needs is extra attention drawn to him. Plus, I am wanting…"

"To find him under my nose?"

Hideomi's mouth twisted, his eyes glancing at the doorway; he didn't turn his head to look at the man, but instead focused his eyes upon the paper in front of him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the head of the Iba clan arrive, making him wonder if Yuliy's handler let him know he didn't want to speak with him. Taking a deep breath, Hideomi tapped his fingers on the top of his desk. "What do you want?"

"We need to talk," the man said.

"We need to find Yuliy." Hideomi turned his attention back to the young girl, watching her hands clench into fists in determination.

"Yes. There is that." The family head then said—while looking at the girl as if trying to figure her out, "We'll speak after you find Yuliy, but while you are focusing your attention on that, I will try and decern who in the clan acted without my orders."

He wanted to call his father out for attempting to cover everything up, yet—not only did he not have the time to deal with such things given he didn't know Yuliy's current physical condition after being shot at, but there was also the definite chance his father wasn't lying. "_I'd like to say he'd never lie to me, but I doubt nee-sama was actually ill and that was why she couldn't see me._"

"I'll take my leave."

Which left Hideomi with the girl, glaring at him. "Look…"

"If you're not going to look for…"

"This needs to be handled in the right way, but…" Hideomi let out a sigh, a thought popping into his head that looking over the scene where Yuliy ended up shot might give him a clue regarding where his nephew ended up. "Stay out of trouble. In fact, go to school."

"But there's another one there. At least, I think there is. I mean, I saw her last night I think."

Mentally, Hideomi cursed his luck, wishing—honestly, he wished he could remember the girl's name, yet he also wished he didn't have her tagging along. Putting a young lady in possible danger didn't sit well, yet in the back of his mind, he couldn't argue for her going back to the school if there was indeed another one of those—whatever Kuratake was. "I need you to let me do my job, understood?"

"Understood."

Understood was the understanding she would follow him despite the fact he'd rather she not, though hopefully, she wouldn't get in the way.


End file.
